Democrats In California Just Forced Through Law That Legalizes Child Prostitution To Delight Of Child Traffickers

California is the most liberal state in the United States but they have really outdone themselves this time by legalizing child prostitution. That's correct. Anyone under 18 years of age in the state of California will be able to engage in sex for payment without any legal consequence.

Starting on January 1st the law will take effect. While exploited minors forced into the sex trade surely deserve compassion these same kids that Democrats want to help will undoubtedly results in the exact opposite effect.

Cops no longer will have the ability to take a child who is engaging in prostitution of the street and away from pimps who are exploiting them. This along with the fact that a naive 17-year-old can prostitute in the open without any concern instead of finding a healthy job can't be a good incentive.

SB 1322 bars law enforcement from arresting sex workers who are under the age of 18 for soliciting or engaging in prostitution, or loitering with the intent to do so. So teenage girls (and boys) in California will soon be free to have sex in exchange for money without fear of arrest or prosecution.

This terribly destructive legislation was written and passed by the progressive Democrats who control California's state government with a two-thirds "supermajority." To their credit, they are sincere in their belief that decriminalizing underage prostitution is good public policy that will help victims of sex trafficking. Unfortunately, the reality is that the legalization of underage prostitution suffers from the fatal defect endemic to progressive-left policymaking: it ignores experience, common sense and most of all human nature — especially its darker side.

The unintended but predictable consequence of how the real villains — pimps and other traffickers in human misery — will respond to this new law isn't difficult to foresee. Pimping and pandering will still be against the law whether it involves running adult women or young girls. But legalizing child prostitution will only incentivize the increased exploitation of underage girls. Immunity from arrest means law enforcement can't interfere with minors engaging in prostitution — which translates into bigger and better cash flow for the pimps. Simply put, more time on the street and less time in jail means more money for pimps, and more victims for them to exploit.

As Alameda County District Attorney Nancy O'Malley, a national leader on human trafficking issues, told the media, "It just opens up the door for traffickers to use these kids to commit crimes and exploit them even worse." Another prosecutor insightfully observed that if traffickers wrote legislation to protect themselves, it would read like SB 1322.

Minors involved in prostitution are clearly victims, and allowing our law enforcement officers to pick these minors up and get them away from their pimps and into custody is a dramatically better solution than making it legal for them to sell themselves for sex. That only deepens their victimization and renders law enforcement powerless to stop the cycle of abuse. SB 1322 is not simply misguided — its consequences are immoral.

Do you think this is a completely misguided attempt by extreme liberal policy that is causing more harm than good?

Tell us if you think child prostitutes are better off being held accountable by the law in the comments below.